Seniors experience world cultures at Polo Park Estates

Ragini Venkatasubban | ragini@mrt.com

Published 5:14 am, Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Dorothy Dollahite is used to waking up early. Born and raised on a farm, the 80-something-year-old has risen before the sun her entire life. These days, she’s still in the habit of waking up at 4:30 a.m. — at her new home at Polo Park Estates.

The independent retirement living community at Garfield Street and Loop 250 is designed for seniors who can live on their own but want companionship and a maintenance-free lifestyle, said Judy Pardo, community management team. More than 100 residents live in one- and two-bedroom apartments and cottages inside the spacious building, which also houses a hair salon, library, fitness center, TV room, game table and religious service area.

A special monthly event is Polo Park’s Adventure Travel Club’s “around the world” tour, featuring a different country every month. On Saturday, residents “traveled” to Germany with traditional German folk dance, food, music and movies. The activity room was turned into a makeshift airline cabin and “piloted” by retired Midland pilot Tom Dollahite, Dorothy’s husband. Next month’s event will feature France.

Such events are open to the public, and Pardo stressed that Polo Park Estates is “not just a place to retire” — it’s a place for all seniors, whether they live there or not.

“I don’t want people to be alone,” she said. “We have people who come in just to play bridge, to play bingo.”

Pardo is one of Polo Park’s four community managers, all of whom live on-site and are available to respond 24/7 in case of emergency. The community is run by Holiday Retirement, which maintains more than 300 retirement locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Dollahite and her husband, Tom, moved to Polo Park four years ago after Tom suffered a heart attack. The couple’s two children and four grandchildren wanted them to live someplace that had 24/7 security but still allowed them to remain independent.

Dollahite, a retired hospice volunteer, said it “nearly broke her heart” when she first moved in, but she’s since changed her mind about it. She loves to cook and sew, but her worsening macular degeneration has made it hard for her to do that anymore.

“We love it here,” she said. “The people take such good care of us.”

Residents receive three meals a day, laundry, housekeeping, utilities, Internet, cable and shuttle service around Midland. They have varying levels of independence — many can drive; some are married; others are widowed or divorced. They range in age from 55 to a woman who just turned 103.